A fatal e-scooter accident in Brussels has reignited debate over the vehicles’ safety as calls grow to lower the maximum speed from 25 km/h to 20 km/h.
Shortly after midnight on Saturday, a 29-year-old man was killed when his e-scooter collided with a car on Avenue de l’Hippodrome in Ixelles. He died at the scene, making him the latest victim in a growing list of fatal scooter incidents.
According to the Federal Institute for Traffic Safety (Vias), e-scooter accidents have surged in Belgium. In the first quarter of 2025, there were 470 recorded cases involving injuries or fatalities, compared to 291 in the same period last year—a 62% increase. Experts stress that unreported accidents may push the figures even higher.
Two MPs from the Flemish socialist party Vooruit have proposed lowering the national e-scooter speed limit to 20 km/h and making helmets mandatory. They argue that reducing speed and power output, as in the Netherlands, could protect both riders and pedestrians.
Brussels already enforces a 20 km/h cap for shared scooters through geo-fencing, with further restrictions in parks and pedestrian zones. However, private scooters remain legally permitted to travel up to 25 km/h, with some models exceeding this by wide margins.
Outgoing Brussels Mobility Minister Elke Van den Brandt (Groen) believes the core issue is not the 20 versus 25 km/h debate, but scooters that far surpass legal limits. “Private scooters can easily reach multiples of the legal speed. That is where the real danger lies,” she noted.
Vias spokesperson Stef Willems echoed this view, highlighting that some scooters on Belgian roads are capable of traveling over 100 km/h. He recalled a police stop in Brussels where a rider was clocked at 106 km/h—without any protective gear.
“Reducing the limit from 25 km/h to 20 km/h is not our top priority,” Willems said. “Instead, efforts should focus on removing illegal high-speed scooters from circulation and enforcing helmet use.”
Helmet requirements remain a critical issue. Despite frequent head injuries in accidents, few scooter riders wear helmets. Vias recommends at least a bicycle helmet, with a motorcycle helmet offering stronger protection.
While lowering speeds might slightly reduce accident severity, experts stress enforcement and regulation of powerful private scooters as the urgent need. Without stricter measures, the rise in injuries and fatalities is unlikely to slow.
This article was created using automation technology and was thoroughly edited and fact-checked by one of our editorial staff members
